A Young Person's Guide to Earning and Learning
Preparing for College, Preparing for Careers
Young people today are faced with an increasing number of options during and after high school. A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO EARNING AND LEARNING: PREPARING FOR COLLEGE, PREPARING FOR CAREERS, jointly developed by the Center on Education Policy and the American Youth Policy Forum, serves as a roadmap for young people trying to make sense of these options and how to best plan and prepare for their postsecondary years.
While college entrance rates have expanded dramatically in recent years, the percentage of those who do not complete a bachelor's or associate's degree or an occupational certificate is extremely high. In fact, only 22 percent of our adult population over age 16 has earned a bachelor's degree or more. What about the other 78 percent?
The GUIDE asks the reader to consider what such statistics mean for their choices about the future and what must be done to prepare for entry and success in postsecondary education. While pointing out the definite economic rewards from college study, the GUIDE suggests that many challenging and well-paying careers do not require four years of college study. Throughout the GUIDE, emphasis is placed on encouraging the young person to (1) choose an academically rigorous program of high school study and (2) take advantage of available sources of information and career counseling so as to broaden their career options.
In doing so, the GUIDE provides practical, easy-to-use information for young people trying to make sense of a complex education, training and employment system. It offers facts and figures about the costs and benefits of a college degree, the benefits of pursuing other types of postsecondary training and the education required and salaries offered in a broad range of careers.
To order the 36-page booklet, please see our Order Form. The cost of the GUIDE is $2. This GUIDE and the companion, A YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO MANAGING MONEY, can be purchased together for a total of $3.00. Membership organizations interested in larger quantities should contact the Forum directly at (202) 775-9731. For information on additional AYPF publications, please go back to our Publications List.